Read Online The Camp by kit Crumb - Free Book Online Page A

bow. “You have my sincere apologies.”
    Amy suddenly folded her arms across her chest. “My father put you up to this, didn’t he?”
    “No, Amy. If your father knew, he’d kill me. Uncle Rye is trying to understand the sex trafficking thing that Ed brought up the other night. He thinks Ed might be right. My question did not come from your father and I really would be in your debt if you promised not to mention this to him.”
    Amy spun around. “That fucker.”
    Claire stepped up and spun her around by the shoulder. It wasn’t the word, it was whom it was addressed to. But when Claire saw Amy’s tears, she released her grip. “What is it?”
    Amy blinked until her vision cleared. “It’s Ed. He’s a lying sack of shit, and doesn’t care about me at all, and I’m breaking it off.” She began folding and unfolding her arms while rocking back and forth.
    Suddenly, bells and whistles went off. Claire grabbed her by the shoulders and locked eyes with her. “Did he hurt you, force himself on you?”
    Amy realized she’d lit a powder keg.
    “No, nothing like that, honest. It’s just that he confessed that he doesn’t have a job waiting for him in Vegas. He lives in a filthy wreck of a house and has a pervert for a roommate. That was enough for me.” She didn’t dare mention that the pervert roommate was always hitting on her.
    Claire grabbed her in a deep hug then backed away. “Keep this in the back of your mind: you can always depend on me to be on your side.” Amy just nodded, took her instructor’s arm, and guided them both to the door.  
    “I love you, Aunt Claire, but I’m really pitted out and need to get home.”
    “Of course you do.” Claire smiled and bowed. “We’ll discuss the results of your test during our next lesson.” She watched the young teen walk down the hall, wondering what can of worms she’d opened with her stupid question. But thinking of the response, her respect for Amy went up two notches. Focus. She still had one more class to teach.
    Gym bag slung over her shoulder, Amy walked down the sidewalk, her mind filled with drunken monkeys. Should she have told her Aunt more about her sexual experiences? What would Ed do when she told him that she was breaking it off? Was that really a test today? Was it just an everyday test or was it a belt test? Her thoughts were interrupted by a short honk. When she looked up it was Ed, driving that pervert’s truck. He was wearing a big grin. Something was up.
    “What do you want?”
    “Could you stop for a minute? I have something to tell you.”
    She turned and faced the road.
    “I just got this really great job offer guiding rafts. I’ll be working at a place called the Little Country Store. I know this is sudden, but I just couldn’t turn it down.” Amy smiled which confused Ed. He had expected a scene.
    “That’s great. I was going to break up with you anyway. Have a great life, Ed.”
    Frustrated, he revved the little engine, called her a cold bitch, and tore away down the street.
    Amy cried all the way home. She wouldn’t miss Ed and her feelings weren’t hurt by the name he called her. She cried for the stupid mistake she’d made by going around with him, scared by where it might have taken her.

Chapter Twelve
    Ed walked up to the raft. It was just like the ones he had seen on reality TV shows—twenty feet long with a metal internal frame and massive oars. A man wearing a tight-fitting wetsuit walked up and extended a hand. “Layton Smeeds. I’m one of your guides.” Ed took the proffered hand. “Ed Thomas.”
    “Now, Mr. Thomas, if you’ll follow me, I’ll get you settled in.”
    Smeeds helped Ed into the raft, instructing him on how he should sit center-bow on the wooden seat.
    “Hey, where are Cindy and Frank?”
    “I can’t tell you about Frank, but the word is, Cindy got hung up with some dispute over a delivery price increase. Everything in her store is trucked in—just like every other store.